Baby Style: Be My Valentine

I'm not typically a big fan of Valentine's Day, despite being a huge fan of both flowers and candy. Who doesn't love that?! But, having a kid that I get to decorate, makes every holiday so much more fun, even the lame ones. The great thing about Valentine's Day, is that hearts can be worn all year. Not like Christmas trees or jack-o-lanterns. So, in my thrifty how-many-times-can-she-wear-this mind, it's worth it to stock up! I mean, love never goes out of style, right?! (Wow, that was cheesy!)

So, here are a few of my favorites from my favorite places to buy for the bambino (especially with a great coupon code-which the Gap is running right now!). Z already has some of these items, and the others, well I just might stock up for next year when they go on sale in a couple of weeks. Just wishing for polka dot sneakers in my size! For now, I'm thinking that this sweatshirt from Old Navy will have to suffice!

one | two  | three

four | five | six

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Month 11 Update

Eleven months. I can't believe that in less than a month, we will have a one year old! This time has flown by (except at 3 in the morning when it drags at a sleepy snail's pace)! She changes and develops so much every day, I've been looking everywhere for a pause button.

Yellow Shirt | Jean Jeggings - Similar Here

It's been crazy hard to get any decent pix of her this month because this kid is always on the move, and no matter how fast I set my shutter, she's almost always a blur. I just figured out how to get my camera to take a burst of quick-fire shots, hoping to increase the odds of getting something useable, but even then the chances are slim. And don't even think about trying to get a smile...Z will be flashing all of her chompers right up till the moment the shutter snaps shut. Dammit.

Chomps the Gator made a really good subject.  Z...not so much.

Weight: about 20 pounds (no doctor appointments this month for any official measurements)
Height: about 28 inches, maybe? Someone is super uncooperative when we try to measure her. At one point, I was certain she measured at 30 inches, which gave me a heart attack...that would have been one heck of a growth spurt!
Sizes: Mostly 6-12 month or 9 month items, though there are still a few 3-6 month holdouts. She's finally made it into the size 3 diapers, though the leftover size 2s still work, since she's such a widget.

Sleep: Ugh! If you read my last post, you know, we have been living in sleep hell. Things had been going so well, even at nap time, and then it all went to total crap. We started back at square one with sleep training and bedtime is back on track. The frequent night wakings have pretty much stopped, too. A few times a week she'll wake up once, but that's no biggie compared to what she was doing this past month.
Nap time on the other hand...my own personal nightmare. I use the same routine as bedtime, but this kid is strong-willed (no idea where she gets that!). I guess it's getting better...Z was screaming/crying for almost an hour (I check in every 3-5 minutes) before crashing, and now she's down to about 30 minutes. Improvement.

Diet: By the end of her eleventh month, Baby Tuna decided she no longer wanted to be fed by us. 90% of the time, we can't get anywhere near her mouth with a spoon. Wouldn't be a big deal if she could just use a spoon herself, but since she can't, oatmeal and yogurt blends are a bit of a struggle. When she can feed herself, she is a champion (and noisy) eater! Grilled cheese and kale (it's really just toast with melted cheese and steamed kale inside) with cut up grapes is probably her favorite meal lately. Z also loves green beans, chick peas, fish, chicken (as a long-time vegetarian, I'm totally grossed out by the chicken, but I'm trying hard to get over it), strawberries, waffles/pancakes, noodles with sauce, and sweet potato chunks or fries. She also gets a taste or two of my morning smoothies, so as soon as she's better with a straw, we may add that to her breakfast.

**A side-note about the monkey finger puppet: This thing was something we picked up at a Carter's Outlet in Georgia to keep the little lady happy while we rang up. When she licked him, we bought him, and when we got home from the trip, he went in the toy basket. She found him recently and has been OBSESSED. She even sleeps with him. It's crazy what a kid will latch on to. **

Baby Loves: Watching (and dancing with) Ellen, playing "chase me", making out with the dog (totally disgusting!), watching out the front window and playing on the window sill, splashing in the tub, monkey finger puppet, being outside, snuggling, giving hugs (arms wrapped around our necks and her little cheek smashed against ours), "reading" her books & being read to, clapping and pointing.

Clapping for Ellen!

Hugs for her puppy. Scout's not so sure. 

Baby Dislikes: Diaper changes (why won't she understand that being still will help the whole thing end a lot faster?), having the shampoo rinsed out of her hair, going down for a nap, sirens and loud vehicles.

Milestones:
Teeth: 7 and counting! This teeth-growing business started out slow, with lots of drooling and chewing for months, then two bottom teeth popped. Since Christmas, Baby Tuna has sprouted five more teeth and we can see three more on the way!

Drinking From a Straw Cup: We've been working on this one for a couple of months now, since Z is so good with a regular sippy cup, and she finally got it. She's always wanting to drink from our glasses, which she can almost do if you don't count swallowing as part of it, so I thought learning to work a straw would make that a little easier for her.

Talking: Well, not really, not yet. But Z does have some pretty serious conversations with us, with her stuffed animals, with balls, and with the dog. In fact, she has a special way she speaks to the dog now and then that is quite bossy. Her little finger starts pointing and everything. It's hilarious!
She also has very distinct "words" for the Hubs and I, and they're close to "momma" and "dad", but not quite yet.

Putting Things "In" & Stacking: Up until recently, Z was highly skilled at dumping out block buckets, emptying toy baskets one item at a time, pulling clothes out of hampers, and pulling books off of shelves. Most of the time throwing or tossing the toys/books and watching them bounce or roll. Lately, she's started tossing putting things back in buckets/baskets/bins/hampers. She's also started stacking blocks and other items instead of just tearing them all down. Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of destruction going on around here, but it still feels like a milestone. We've had so much fun watching her play and problem solve lately. She's just so smart!

Striped Dress | Leggings

Making Us Laugh...On Purpose: This might be my favorite milestone yet! Baby Tuna's goofy little personality has been slowly emerging for many months now, but this past month, she's really dialed it in. Funny faces, silly noises, fish face, and other silliness. She started making a funny sound in her throat, really hard to describe (sort of like a friendly zombie growl) but it's hilarious, and she makes a face like a vampire showing his fangs at the same time. She does it so often, she started going hoarse!

hat - H&M in stores - similar here | sweatshirt (last season - similar here)

heart onesie | gray top

It's 2am...Isn't Sleep Training Fun?

When Z was about 6 ½ months old, we started sleep training. According to all the "experts" we were about 5 months late on this. We just never got the memo. Baby Tuna had her surgery at 4 months old, and while she recovered, we decided to keep her in the pack n play in our room a wee bit longer. About a month later, we started the transition into the crib and sleep training slowly followed.

We monkeyed around with some of the "No Cry" methods (all of which are crap, and let me tell you someone in the house is gonna be crying) since we felt like she had been through enough stress in her short life. We clearly had lost our damn minds. Hunching over the crib for hours on end with our hand on her back, with our hand holding hers, or with our hand placed on the mattress in her view but not touching her.  It wasn't long before I needed a serious chiropractic alignment and a good stiff drink. 

We bagged the "No Cry" crap and moved on to Ferber. Admittedly, we were super inconsistent in the beginning (one of us would always cave), so we didn't see too much success. This is a tough road to travel, but so many parents say this is the way to go, so we stuck with it and after a few weeks, Z was sleeping like a champ. She was still crying for a few minutes, but the Hubs, who is in charge of bedtime, was able to put her down "drowsy, but awake", and she would unhappily drift off to sleep and stay sleeping until morning.

Things were status-quo for a while, I even called success in her Month Ten Update. Then we went back home for four days after Christmas and it all went to shit. We tried to keep to the routine, but who are we kidding, when you're on vacay, things always get out-of-whack. She also started cutting her top teeth, and hit a major fussy phase all at the same time.  So let's just say, we're back at square one. Dr. Ferber...we meet again! 

So here's what I've learned in the last five months:

1. Mommy bloggers are lying hookers. Ok not all of them, but there are a lot out there who are full of crap. Read any mommy blog and you will usually find it devoid of negative stories about their precious littles, unless the story will provide a good laugh. This is especially true when it comes to their baby's sleep habits. We are foolishly led to believe that the children of these bloggers sleep through the night the second they bring them home from the hospital. They barely whimper through teething, growth spurts, milestones, sleep regressions, wonder weeks, and stuffy noses. Well, I call bullshit.

2. Anything read at 3am will feel like an answer sent from heaven.  In your sleepy fog, you could read that standing on your head and singing Twinkle Twinkle backwards will do the trick, and you'll probably try it. You. are. that. desperate. I blame sleep deprivation and iPad eye strain. In our house, we take turns dealing with the night wakings, so one of us is always googling for the right solution (instead of sleeping) while the other is dealing with the little nightmare darling. If you find yourself in this situation, I recommend playing Angry Birds, watching House Hunters, or scrolling through Mental Floss instead. And stay the eff away from any kind of parenting forum. Just trust me on this one. 

3. The so-called sleep experts are the worst. The. worst.  Whether you read every word of their books, flip through them while sitting on the floor in B&N scanning only the pages that seem relevant to your situation (we may or may not have done this a time or two), or find the info online, you are sure to find a whole mess of contradictory phooey that will only confuse you. Factor in the more touchy-feely kumbaya "experts" out there and you will not only feel confused and exhausted, but terrified and like the worst parent in the world. 

Let your baby cry it out and not only will she hate you forever, but she will never be able to trust anyone-ever. If you don't rock her to sleep till she's 12, you will rewire her brain and ensure that she will grow up to be a first-class sociopath. Awesome.

4. Everybody in the house needs to sleep. Even the dog. After a few weeks of multiple night-wakings (and by multiple I mean every 90 minutes) and visits from the No-Nap Ninja, we are running on autopilot around here. The three of us have bags under our eyes, we're grouchy, forgetful, and even Scout is feeling frazzled. The other day, I dumped half a latte in my lap while driving and walked into an open pantry cabinet door. I'm tired and my motor skills are suffering. For the love of god, kid...just sleep!

So, this is the point where you ask, "So Kristi, what is the answer?" and I reply, "I haven't got an effing clue."

For us, well, we're back to our own version of Ferber (cuz we only flipped through the book, remember?) and hoping that will work. This kid needs to start sleeping through the night again, just for the sake of her growth and mental development. And don't get me started on nap time. What's the secret there?! I don't buy into the "some babies just don't need that much sleep" baloney. Sleep is restorative and we all need it. We all really, really need it. Really. 

Months Nine & Ten Must-Haves

I have to admit, the must-haves for months nine and ten have been a bit tricky. We really held off on buying any new toys, since Santa would be visiting right after the babe hit the ten month mark, and these two months are really so similar developmentally. We pretty much spent our time on tooth-watch, trying new finger foods, and holding our breath while Baby Tuna pulled up on anything that would stand still (and even one furry, four-legged thing that wouldn't). She was content to throw toss play with all of her old favorites, so there really isn't anything new in that department.

I really think Z would add mirrors, electrical cords, catalogs, refrigerator magnets, the dog, remotes, and mommy's laptop to the list if it were up to her. But since it isn't, here are a handful of things we were happy to have during Z's ninth and tenth months.

1. Britax Boulevard Convertible Carseat: After our road trip to North Georgia in October, one thing was abundantly clear, Z was more than ready for a big girl carseat. We ordered this puppy the day we got home, and thanks to Amazon Prime, it was in the car two days later. It came highly recommended by other mommies and gets great reviews and ratings, so I felt good about getting one. It doesn't overwhelm the backseat of my car (a VW Rabbit - not huge by any means) but Baby Tuna seems really comfortable.

2. Turtlemeter: Like most parents, we are always afraid of scalding our little lady's delicate bits in the bathtub, but no one likes a cold bath. Enter the Turtlemeter. He lights up green when the temps are just right (and displays the actual water temp), blue when the water's too cold, and red when it's a danger zone. Plus, this guy's fun to play with and talk to. 

3. Fresh Food Feeder: We got a few of these at our baby shower, and some of my friends swore by them. But Z wasn't sharing in their enthusiasm, no matter what kind of stuff I shoved in there. Sometime in the middle of month nine, she cracked her first tooth and finally couldn't get enough of these things. Apple chunks, frozen banana, both big hits. They're a bit of a mess to clean out, but they were the one thing that gave the Hubs and I some time to eat our dinners in peace.

4. Hooded Towels: We've used hooded towels from bath #1, but the Circo animal towels from Target are probably my favorite. They're way too big for a ten month old, but they're sooo soft and hold up well to washing. (a lot of our others are falling apart at the seams) They cost a bit more than I would normally spend on a baby towel, but if you keep an eye on Target's weekly ads or use the Cartwheel ap, you can catch a good deal. 

5. Cheerios: AKA: Baby Crack, AKA: That Thing Crusted On My Shirt, AKA: That Stuff Lodged Between Our Sofa Cushions.

6. Silicone Bibs: Baby Tuna isn't used to wearing these yet, but I love them! They're super easy to clean and the pouches are huge. 

7. City Mini GT: I included this guy a few months ago and I love it so much, here it is again. As I mentioned above, I drive a small car, a hatchback actually. And because our house is kind of small, too, GT lives in my trunk. I use it every morning on my run/walks (even though it's not officially a jogging stroller, but since I'm not officially a runner, I figure it's OK.) and can pull it out of my car and unfold it while holding the baby, a Tervis of H2O, and my cell. And with the yank of one handle in the seat, it folds like a taco and slides right back in the car. 

I always try to include a book or two each month, but this time, though I tried and tried to read Christmas books to her every day, Z was obsessed with only one book...Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which was on our Must-Haves list a couple of months ago. The kid can't get enough of this book. It's the one she will usually pick to read before a nap, and without that book, I never would have been able to take a New Year's picture. Ob-sessed!

Happy 2014!!

I can't believe how quickly 2013 flew by! How is it possible that it is already January 1 again! I have grand plans of doing a "year in review" posting, but I'm already so far behind here, it may not be ready till November!

It's so hard to believe that this was just a year ago!!

We rang in the new year in true Tuna fashion...about 20 minutes late! Baby Tuna woke up screaming at about 11:57, so the Hubs paused Carson Daly while I was on baby duty. Once she was settled, we watched the ball drop, toasted our champagne, and reflected on the year the passed...all in our pjs. Then we crashed - we are the parents of a ten month old, after all, and she had us up waayyyy too early!

For our first breakfast of the new year, we enjoyed scrambled eggs, fruit (both of which the bambino devoured!), mimosas (something I desperately missed last New Year's), and these beauties. Nutella and cinnamon filled crescents. Holy wow, were they good! They're a hack of some overly complicated Pinterest baked goodie I found recently and there's no way the original would have been any better than these! I may be making them again this weekend cuz they are all I have thought about all day!!

We've spent the rest of the day relaxing, eating the last of the Christmas cookies, and soaking up every last minute of family time before the Hubs goes back to work tomorrow - Boo!! 

I hope you all have had a wonderful start to your 2014! Thank you for reading and supporting my little corner of the world. I can't wait to see where the next twelve months takes us! 

CHEERS!